On Monday, July 28th, Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino officially recognized and announced, Sophie’s Place Child Advocacy Centre and The Centre for Child Development as its signature charitable partner during a special presentation ceremony that took place at the Centre in Surrey, BC.

“Fraser Downs has been a longtime supporter of The Centre for Child Development which houses Sophie’s Place under its umbrella. Our parent company, Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, played a role in fostering a relationship between Sophie Tweed Simmons, daughter of Rock ‘n’ Roll royalty Gene Simmons, and Mayor Dianne Watts of the City of Surrey. In November of 2012, Sophie Tweed Simmons lent her name to the newly opened centre in hopes of garnering attention and support for the cause,” said Ken Stratton, General Manager, Fraser Downs.

This new partnership will allow Fraser Downs to contribute to the development of the Centre by hosting an annual fundraiser, engaging staff to volunteer their time and by making financial and in-kind contributions. “Our aim is to be able to engage with the Centre on many different levels and build a meaningful relationship that is not primarily based on monetary support,” added Stratton.

Sophie’s Place is a child advocacy centre focused on providing specialized services to physically, mentally or sexually abused children in a safe and child-friendly setting.

The Centre is the result of a significant collaboration between the Surrey RCMP, Ministry of Children and Family Development, City of Surrey, Ministry of Justice (Victim Services and Crime Prevention), and The Centre for Child Development.

The Centre for Child Development provides specialized pediatric medical rehabilitation services and supports 2,400 children with special needs and their families through 30,000 service sessions per year in Delta, Surrey, South Surrey, White Rock, Langley and other areas of the Lower Mainland. While the Centre serves 2,400 children each year, as many as 25,000 South Fraser children and youth may have some form of developmental disability and 3,000 may have severe disabilities.

“We are a fortunate to have an amazing Sophie’s Place team who share a vision of reducing trauma and providing best practice services to children who have been abused and their non-offending caregivers. We also gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino to the renovation and expansion and the safeguarding of our kids,” said Gerard Bremault, CEO the Centre for Child Development, the Child Development Foundation of BC and Sophie’s Place Child Advocacy Centre.